Machine for saturating stock.



LLC/mv.'

MACHINE FOR SATURATING STOCK. APPLICATION FILED APR. l5. 191s.

1,275,216. 4 PatentedAug,13,191.

4 SHEETS-SHEET I.

E. J. CADY.

MACHINE FOR SATURATING STOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 15. i918.

' yPatented Aug. 13, 1918.

4 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

HHIHIIH Il IUI Il H ll Il l I'mfe @se fad] E. 1. CADY.

MACHINE FOR SATURATING'STOCK.

APPLICATION FILED APR. I5. IsIs.

1,275,216. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.-

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

lIII JHMHWIIII llIII l II lll Il MACHINE FOR SATURATING STOCK.

APPLICATION HLED APR. Is. 191s.

1,275,216. Patented Aug. 13, 1918.

. 4 SHEETS-SHEET 4. E 5 e, Ed

ELISHA JESSE CADY, OF OAK PARK, ILLINOIS.

MACHINE FOR SATURATING STOCK.

Specification of Letters liatent.v

Patented aug., as, rais.

Originalapplication filed April 2, 1917, Serial N o. 159,120. Divided and this application filed April 15, 1918.

Serial No. 228,528. v

To all whom t may concern.'

Be it known that I, ELISHA JESSE GABY, a citizen of the United States, residing at Oak Park, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Machines for Saturating Stock, of which the following is a Specification, reference being had therein to the accom anying drawing.

y invention relates to machines for saturating porous fabrics, such as paperboard, strawboard, or paper felt used in the manufacture of building paper, artificial shingles and the like, with a suitable solution of asphalt or kindred products, and it consists in the matters hereinafter set forth and pointed out in the appended claims.

In saturating stock of this character,

especially where the product will be eXpsed i to heat or the sun,- uniform saturation is necessary as otherwise the product will warp, which destroys its value. yWhen the treatment involves the immersion of the stock in a hot bath of saturating'solution the air in the layers or pores or pockets of the stock is trapped and expands under the heating action of the solution, and gases are generated vand similarly trapped, and both of these conditions cause the material to puff, so that the saturation is uneven and the product will subsequently warp or blister. Similarly, moisture in the stock causes it to unevenly take up or absorb the solution, and steam generated from the moisture by the heat of the bath causes it to puff and swell, and both of these factors tend to produce unevenness of saturation. Also, where the treatment is such that portions of a strip of stock are unequally subjected to the saturating action of the solution, as for example where the operation is limited to occur at intervals in respect to the area of the stock or succeeding sections are separately or intermittently treated, some portions are either unsaturated or only unevenly or partly saturated; this precludes uniformity of saturation of` all linear portions of a strip and so destroys homogeneity of the product. Such results are objectionable, and are obviated bythe present invention, which producesA homogeneityof saturation of all linear portions of a strip of stock.

F urthermore,-in saturating stock of this character, moistening the stock by the solution softens its fibers and loosens them from each other so that the surface is susceptible to ruptures and abrasions and the texture or body is liable to tear or break, and hence where the operation is limited to occur at intervals in respect to the saturating action, the sudden and intermittent strains or pulls on the strip to move it step-by-step or intermittently are liable to disrupt its body, and the sticky quality of asphalt and tar solutions causes the treated-portions to immediately adhere to partsof the machine-with which they are in contact upon diminution of the high degree of heat necessary to suficiently liquefy the saturating material,-

with the result .that the surface of the stock is blistered and also torn or abraded in working it loose from the machine. By the present invention these objections are obvi- ,ated as itproduces continuity of saturation,

eliminates liabilityto surface abrasions and disturbances of the stock, and the draft on the stock is steady so that its body is not subjected to' intermittent or sudden strains or pulls. Also, my invention provides surface support of the stock vwhich minimizes its breakage and carries any broken portions out of the machine without stopping its operation. f

These and other advantages are attained by my invention, which may be embodied in a machine having the characteristics of those shown in the accompanying drawings, in whic A Figure 1 isa cross sectional view on the line 1-1 of Fig.l 2 showing an apparatus constructed in accordance with` my invention in which the endless perforated carrier on which the stock is supported is in the form of a revolving cylinder or drum;

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view of the parts of Fig. 1;

Fig. 3 is a detail sectional' view of the perl foratedA body of thel drum;

Fig. 4 is a view similar' to Fig. l and showing a modified form of the apparatus in tent ot .which the carrier is in the form oit a traveling belt;

Fig. 5 is a cross-sectional view ot the parts ot Fig. at, on the line 5-5g Fig. 6 is a detail vievs7 partly in section ot parts ot Fig. t, and

f Fig. 7 is a detail view showing the retaining apron in the orln ot parallel link-belts.

lln the drawing the reference letter' A represents a tank or vessel ot general rectangular shape containing the `liquid asphaltic or bituminous-solution or compound,l which is prepared in any usual Way now Well knovvn in the art in such consistency that it will penetrate or soak into paperboard or similar stock. rllhe sides a of the tank are preerably curved at their bottom portions to provide a container or the general contour shown, and the ends a ot the tank are closedD 'lthe tank is provided at its top with a supply pipe a2 tor the saturating solution or cornpound, and at its bottom with an outlet e3 by 'Which the solution may be dra-Wn on and the tank emptied llt is also provided with a steam-jacket B in which steam is diffused by any suitable means to heat the liquid conthe tank to the required temperature, say 300 to 500 Fahrenheit, only a single steam inlet b being shown :tor simplicity oi" illustration, and a drain is provided tor the products of condensation in the steamjacket. 'l he tank and its jacket are carried by a suitable trame C.

The tank is provided with a stock-carrier which in the fornrshown in Figs. l and 2 is a cylinder or drum D having a perforated body .and mounted on a revolving shaft d Which is supported centrally across the tank in suitable bearings having the usual stuffingboxes, and has a drive gear d at one of its projecting ends 'to revolve the shaft vand drum from any suitable source ot power, as from the drive-pinion d2 on the drive shaft d3. yllhe periphery or body of the drum. is preferably composed ott' foraininous material, such as wire-mesh; in the present in. stance it is vcomposed of an outer layer ot relatively ne wire-mesh and an inner layer of" relatively coarse wire-mesh as shown in Fig. 3. The drum is supported iu position on the shaft by a series of spaced inner rings Z4 carried by correspondingspiders (Z5 tixedto the shaft. rllhe drum is closed at one end by an imperforate head d, and at its other end its extreme ring Z4 makes a liquidetight slip joint With an annulus a4 of corresponding diameter fixed to the inner edge of an annular recess or well formed by outwardly` extending or offsetting the corresponding `portion of the associated end a of the tank, as shown at a5 in Fig'. 2. The recess or well substantiall)v forlns a continuation of the inner area of the drum so that the lat-terV is closed except through its perforated body, and this recess is provided at its bottom with nar/5,2m

a draw-od pipe a6 leading to a suitable exhaust-purnp F to draw out ot the carrier any oit the solution that may pass through the stock, and also to reduce the air pressure in the drum it desired when it carries a length of stock. Any excess of solution that may pass through the stock will drip into the carrier and be carried oli` by pipe as, and when the pump connects the pipes Aa2 and as the circulation ot excess solution will be carried out.

rlFhe tank is provided with a traveling endless stock-retaining apron l, preferably' of Wire mesh, whose Width is approximately the length of the drum, and this apron passes over suitable guide-rollers, with its Working' stretch or run against the outer surfacel ot the drum for the major portion of its circumference. rlhe apron passes over a pair ot drive rollers e extending preferably across f 'the rollers being disposed so that their upn per portions are above the level ot the liquid in the tank, and being driven by any suitable meansto move the operative run or portion othe apron in 'the same direction as and in unisonwith the drum; the drive rollers may be driven from the gear-wheel d by suitable gearpinions e. The tank is also provided with front and rear guide rollers e2 and es, respectively, on the level of the drive rollers and one at each side of the tank` and with two pairs of opposite guide rollers 'e4 and e5, respectively, located at differentV levels in the tank and so disposed as to guide the apron with its working run in position against the drum and its idle run spaced from the working run. The apron retains the stock upon the carrier to minimize any tendency of the stock to sag or break, and if the stock does break or split the apron carries the. fractured parts around and out of the tank so that it is not necessary to stop the operation and fish out the broken pieces or ends.

The tank is provided with a cover G which has suitable inlet and outlet passages for the stock adjacent the rollers e; in thev form shown in Fig. 1 the Central portion G of the cover between these rollers is provided with opposite side walls g which depend into the tank and are curved in crosscontour to correspond with the rollers c to act as guides for the stock` the upper ends of the. walls g being carried tangentially away from the rollers to form inlet and outlet guide-lips g2 for the stock and their lower ends being beveled to extend more or less between the drum and the extremities of the length or portion of the stock on the drum. ln some cases it may be desirable. to reduce the air pressure in -the interior ofthe stock on the carrier, and in such event Sti the cover is constructed to t snugly against the stock on the rollers and also to close the drum between the extremities of a length of ',stockthereon; for these purposes the sideinterior of the carrier. The faces of the bottom and side walls may be faced with felt or other material.

In the form of apparatus shown in Figs. 4 and 5, the tank is of increased depth, and the carrier of increased capacity. The shaft d located at or nearl its bottom is provided with a series of spaced rings d4 Carried by corresponding spiders d5 fixed or loose on the shaft, the two end rings being made with solid or imperforate heads d6. A suitable frame F is centrally supported in the tank above the rings and carries two opposite banks or groups of Yvertical ribs f spaced apart and arranged in line with the rings,

the end ribs being flat and -the intermediate Ones being preferably formed by suitable T- bars, and all having their lower ends f beveled in correspondence with the curvature of the rings to closely contact therewith. The carrier is an endless wire-mesh belt E, with which the endless wire-mesh retaining apron E2 coperates, their operative runs being located in the'tank and eX- tending parallel down and around the rings d4. The upper portion of the carrier E is carried upon a pair of drive rollers e suitably journaled in bearings on the frame of the apparatus at opposite sides of the vertical guides, and the lower ortion of this carrier passes along the ri s and around the guide rings d* in contact therewith, it being understood that the guide' rings merely form supports for the lower stretch of the carrier and'that consequently in this form of the apparatus they may be maderevolving or stationary as desired. The upper portion of the retainingapron E2 is provided with a pair of drive rolls e located outside of the drive rolls for the inner car:`V rier E, it being understood that all of these drive rolls areI suitably driven by any desirable means so that the carrier and its apron will travel in unison. The inner or operative run of the apron E2 passes over an opposite pair of guide rolls e3 which are located adjacent to the upper ends -of the' guides f and in such position as to hold this run of the apron E2 in contact withv the operative run of the carrier E, and to hold this latter run against the guides f and the coveriG. The idle run vof the apron E2 passes around a pair of idle rolls@4 and thence down around the idle roll e5 in the tank, the arrangement being such'that when the carrier and apron are driven with a length of stock or material interposed between them as shown in Fig. L they will carry `the latter ydown the length of one set ofl guides f around the rings or guides d* and up the length of the opposite set of guides f. The edges of the carrier E are provided with asuitable facing E3 adapted to make close fit with the end guides d6 and f so as to make the sliding contact or joint v between these parts tight enough to prevent the solution passing into the space within the operative run ofthe carrier, and toenable the air pressure therein to be reduced by pump P when desired and a length of stock S is in place thereon, the similar sliding contact or joint between the cover G and the inner run of thel carrier being tight enough to permit reduction' of air pressure. The drawfo'ff pipe a in this form of the apparatus is extended upwardly between the guides f and through the cover, and it connects with a suitable pump P as shown in Fig. 5; the discharge of this pump may connect yto the supply pipea2 of the tank.

While l prefer to make the retaining apron in the form of a foraminous or wovenl Fig. 7 arranged at suitable distances apart along the outer face of the .carrier and preferably -in the planes of the rings 4,7 and operated and guided by the same or similar rollers as are shown for the other aprons.

In the operation of the apparatus the end of a length of stock S is fed. into the bite i l between the carrier and its retaining?. apron as shown at the right hand of Figs. 1 and 4, the carrier and apron are moved in unison in the direction of the arrow untilthe leading end of the strip reaches the outlet, when thev machine isstopped. The vtank space or chamber between the wall a and the stock strip on the carrier is then filled wit liquid which is kept at the desired temperature by the steam-jacket, though it is underthe stood-that the liquid may be introduced into the tank before the stock is in place on they carrier as it is obvious that the stock may be readily led through the solution and that when the carrier is `thus provided with a loop of stock the liquidin the interior of the loop may be evacuated through the pipe a".

v The tank is of suiiicient capaclty in excess of the area occupied by the stock on the carrier to provide a -suitable head or column of the solution in the chamber to furnish a weight or stress by the solution itself. to penetrate the stock; for example, in practlce the drum of Fig. 1 is about fifteen feet in diameter andthe tank is enough larger proportionately to provide a chamber to hold sufficient solutionbetween its wall and the lll stock on the drum to provide a body ot solution approximately two fleet in thickness at its narrowest portion, so that the weight or stress ot the solution at the surface is sumcient to edect the penetration and of course increases toward the bottom of the tank, while in the arrangement shown in lFig. i the initial stress or weight is less at the surtace but increases greatly toward the bottom owing to the greater depth of the tank. llhe carrier is rotated to move the strip ot stock through the machine to its outlet, and during this movement or travel of the stock its outer surface is subjected to the weight oit the'saturating solution, and'its inner surface is tree from direct cont-act with the solution, so that the pressure or stress oi the weight ot the solution itself is utilized as the saturating or penetrating torce; it positively forces the solution into the stock and also expels 'from the stock all air, moisture and gases which thereby are forced out of its unobstructed inner surface, so that the solution may freely and uniformly saturate the fibers ci the stock and till its interstices without trappin any air, gas or moisture, and so without .forming any puffs or warps or blisters or other deteriorating conditions. rlhe body of the solution is conned to this chamber and so is put into aneective condition or relation with respect to the stock to utilize the pressure or stress ot the weight of the solution itself as the saturating or penetrating torce, so that extraneous means to force or draw the solution into the stock are eliminated and the slow action oit capillarity to produce saturation is obviated. rllhis relation also enables me to utilize this functional or working capacity oil the solution itselfin an uninterrupted manner to permit a strip of stock to be moved in its presence by the moving carrier to insure omogeneity of saturation or all the linear portions cross-sectional portion is either unsaturated or only partially or unevenly saturated, and continuity of the saturating action on the strip so that the moistened stock may be steadily moved and not subjected to intermittent or sudden strains or pulls, and succeeding strips of stock may be treated Without stopping the machine by feeding them into the machine one after the other in a 'continuous manner, the saturation bein complete and uniform throughout the nished product. By this invention saturation or the stock is achieved uninterruptedly, so that homogeneity of saturation of all portions o a strip of stock is obtained, whether Y it moves steadily or intermittently, and continuity ot such saturation is obtained when it moves steadily or uniformly to enable the strip to be moved by a steady draft or pull to eliminate all intermittent or sudden strains or pulls on it; the relation or co-acof the strip of stock so that no' Leraars tion or the solution and strip ot stock is such that there are no intervals eitheroie saturating actionV or of unsaturated area., rlhe bers are saturated and the interstices are lledwith the solution, so when the product drys and sets the ing is homogeneous and the stock is free from punts, blisters and similar deteriorating conditions. By my invention ll can saturate dense stock, such as strawboard having a density or thickness ol .075 or .085, inless time than was heretofore required to saturate paper elts or similar goods made in part oit rags, and as strawboard makes a better product tor shingles and building materials than those others and is a cheaper base being made from various kinds of straws which are annual products in large quantities, my invention enables me to make denser grades ot finished products even cheaper than the more porous grades were heretofore made. v 'lhe stock is supported by the carrier againstl the pressure ol the solution to eliminate bending and liability oit its breaking iii subjected to a pressure beyond the resistance of its tensile strength, and each portion oit it is `suspended in the presence of the solution by the carrier and retaining apron from the `moment of its contact with the solution until its exitxtherefrom to prevent its sagging or buckling to minimize liability of its splitting or breaking, and to carry any broken or split portions orends out of the saturating zone so that the treatment need not be stopped to ish out the broken parts of stock. The tendency of such stock to sag or buckle when moved through a body oi't'solution is minimized as the resistance of the solution to the travel oit the stock is reduced to itsV minimum by being conned to one side or the stock. rllhis tact enables me to dis-4 pense with a retaining apron under certain conditions, as where non-brittle stock is treated, though ll prefer to use an apron for il@ practically all grades or kinds of stock. While l prefer to make the stock-supporting portion of the carrier perforated, it is obvious that the perforations may be omitted.

rl`he speed of the stock depends somewhat upon its density; for treating strawboard for example the drum of Fig. l-is preferably of sulicient size to expose about thirty linear feet of stock to the action ol: the 12o liquid, and the drum will make about two revolutions per lmini/ite, while tor more porous stock its rate of speed may be increased. But in all cases the speed for any lill) lll@ particular kind of 4stock is preferably uni- 12u' form so that all portions of it are subjected to the positive and direct action lof the liquid tor approximately equal times to secure uniformity ed saturation. |lhe penetrating force of the liquidfis uniform for all portions of the stock; it may be varied for stocks'of different densities by increasing or decreasing the pressure of the body of the solutionon the outer surface of the stock by putting the solution in the tank under pressure,l as for example by having the pump that draws from the interior of the loop discharge into the pipe a2, and this pressure may also be regulated so that the speed of charging the stock with the solution may be controlled. If it is desired, in treating heavy or dense stock for example, the pump may be operated to more or less reduce the air pressure in the carrier after the stock is positioned thereon so that the suction thereby created will expedite the removal of air, gas, etc., from the stock and will expedite the penetration of the solution into the stock, although this function of the pump is not essential for treating even heavier or denser stock but is merely adjunctive to the penetrating action of the solution itself.

I make nov claim herein to the process of saturating stock as the same is described and claimed in my pending application filed April 2, 1917, Serial No. 159,120, in which the apparatus herein describedV illustrates a suitable manner of practising said process.

1. In a saturating machine, a tank for a saturating solution, an endless stock-carrier having a body whose carrying run supports the stock against the solution in the tank and is spaced from the tank-wall to provide a pressure chamber for the solution between the wall and the stock on the carrier, and means to confine the solution in said chamber. 4

`2. In a saturating machine, a tank fora saturating solution, an endless stock-carrier having a perforated body whose carrying run supports the stock against the solution in the tank and is spaced from the tank-wall to provide a pressure chamber for the solution between the wall and the stock on the carrier, and means to confine the solution in said chamber.

3. In a saturating machine, a tank for a saturating solution, an endless stock-carrier l having aforaminous body whose carrying run supports the stock against the solution in the tank and is spaced from the tank-wall to provide apressure chamber for the solution between the wall and the stock on the carrier, and means to lconfine the solution in said chamber.

4. vIn a saturating machine, a tank for a saturating' solution, an endless stock carrier having a perforated body whose carrying run supports the stock against the solution and is spaced from the tank to form a pressure chamber for the solution, an endless 'open apron, guides arranged to hold one run of the apron in working relation to the carrying run of the carrier, means to confine the solution in the pressure chamber, and means to simultaneously move the carrier and apron in the same direction.

5. Ina saturating machine, a-tank for a -saturating solution, an endless vstock carrier having a foraminous body whose carrying portion supports the stock against the solution and is spaced from the tank to form a pressureV chamber for the solution, an endless apron, guides arranged to hold one run of the apron in working relation to the carrying runl of the carrier, means to confine the solution in the pressure chamber,'and'means to simultaneously move the carrier and apron in the same direction.

6. In a saturating machine, a tank for a Y lation to the carrying run ofthe carrier,

means to confine the solutionv in the pressure chamber, means to simultaneously move the carrier and apron in the same direction, and a. draw-off pipe for the interior of the carrler.

7. In a saturating machine, a tank for a saturating solution, a rotating drum in the tank having closed ends and a perforated body to vinclosea space from which the solution is excluded, said -body and tank-wall being spaced apart to provide a pressure chamber for the solution, an endless perforated apron in the chamber, guides arranged to hold one run of the apron in working relation to the carryingv run of the drum, and means to simultaneously move the carrier andl apron in the same direction'.

8. In a saturating machine, a tank for a saturating solution, a rotating drum in the tank having closed ends and a foraminous body to vinclose a space from which the sol-ution is excluded, said body and tank-wall being spaced apart to provide a pressure ,chamber for the solution, an endless -foraminous4 apron in the chamber, guides arranged to hold one run of the apron in working rela- *tion to the drum, Lmeans to simultaneously move the carrier and apron in the same direction, and a draw-ofi'l pipe communicating portion ofthe interior of the body to inclose a space, from which the solution is excluded, said body and tank-wall being spaced apart to form a pressure chamberl for ,the solution, an endless open apron in the chamber, guides arranged to hold one Mmmm@ run of the apron im Working' relation to the ln testimony whereof afx my signatuge drum, moans to simultaneously move the caff in .presence of two Witnesses.

rior and apron in the same direction., @pipo Y ELSHA JESSE CADY. communicatin with the lower portion of vtitnossos; tho interior o" the dtum, and at pump' oom- JOHN JTOJEIIJSOBQa nected with said pipo. J. MoRoBERTs. 

